Guide for Living with a Baby

Frankfurt mein Zuhause GUIDE FOR LIVING WITH A BABY This brochure is also available in German, Spanish, French, Polish and Turkish under the “Welcome pack” rubric on www.frankfurter-kinderbuero.de. BABY SUPPLIES CRYING UNIT PARENT HOTLINE MIDWIVES PARENTAL BENEFITS 1 Waaah! 2 Waaah! 3 Congratulations on your little bundle of joy! 4 Dear Parents, Congratulations on the birth of your child! In this brochure, we have compiled a host of useful tips, addresses and telephone numbers in an effort to make the transi- tion into your new family life as smooth as possible. We are providing you with information about what Frank- furt has to offer. Regardless of whether you are a single parent household or raising your child together, what section of town you live in or where your cultural roots are. Frankfurt is a family town. Our first order of business is to provide parents and children with the right environ- ment for living, laughing and loving. I wish you the most exciting, chaotic and amazing time of your life. Yours sincerely, Sylvia Weber Dezernentin für Integration und Bildung 5 Content Das Kinderbüro (Children’s Office) 8 Das Familien-Info-Café (Family Info Café) 10 The “Frühe Hilfen” (Early Help) Guide 10 The Babylotsen (Baby Guides): Always there for you and your family 11 Returning to daily life after coming home from the hospital 12 After returning to daily life 14 Time to take care of the paperwork (checklist) 14 The stuff we need for daily life and where to get it 16 Things that are fun and good for you 16 How should I talk to my child? 18 What to do when babies cry 20 Never shake babies! 21 Teenage mums under the age of 18 22 Pregnant again? 22 Running a single parent household 23 When your relationship is on the rocks 23 When parents need help 23 Diversity counts! 24 Growing up with a disability 24 People from more than 180 countries 25 Rainbow families 25 How do I brush my child’s teeth? 26 6 Things are just a little bit different for us 27 I am afraid when mummy and daddy fight 28 I honestly had no intention of hitting my child 28 Family midwives will provide support for the daily routine 29 There are so many types of drugs and dependencies 29 Creating a work-life balance 30 Trainees, female and male employees are eligible for parental leave 30 Mothers and fathers who receive unemployment benefits (Hartz IV) 31 Mothers and fathers who are registered with the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or who are looking to rejoin the workforce 31 Vocational training and studying with a child 32 Employment protection 32 If your child is sick 33 Who will take care of my child when I am sick? 33 Everything you should know about childcare 34 “Childcare preparations” – checklist 35 How long will we have to wait for a childcare place, what will it cost and where can we get financial assistance? 36 Emergencies 36 Types of care – Table 37 Money makes the world go around 38 Child benefit (Kindergeld) 38 Parental Benefit (Elterngeld) 39 Parental Benefits Plus (Elterngeld Plus) 39 Child allowance (Kinderzuschlag) 40 Household advance (Unterhaltsvorschuss) 40 When money is tight 41 Frankfurt Pass 42 Questions regarding unemployment benefits II (Arbeitslosengeld II, Hartz IV) 42 Educational and care package (Bildungs- und Teilhabepaket) 42 When the apartment has become too small 43 Financial support for diapers and the like 44 Glossary 46 Directory of addresses 47 In Case of Imminent Danger 51 Important telephone numbers 51 7 We represent the interests of the children in our city The Children’s Office – raised without violence, and the the central point of right to both parents and a safe contact for children and home. parents Our involvement is as varied as chil- The Children’s Office places its focus dren’s lives themselves: we provide on children and their parents. This is prompt support without the red where you will find competent tape – wherever children’s interests partners for all your needs. Since are affected. We encourage children 1991 we have been charged with to stand up for their own rights. representing the community’s interests for the implementation of children’s rights in support of a child and family-friendly Frankfurt. The UN Con- vention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a binding regulation stipu- lating children’s rights for children world-wide. This includes, for instance, the right to health and educa- tion, the right to being 8 Should you need information, or The Family Info Café is open on have questions about daily life with Tuesdays from 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm. your baby, the Children’s Office will This offer is free of charge and be here to support you. Come by requires no registration. with your baby and explore the play corner and the Family Info Café at our facility in Nordend, Frankfurt, and enjoy a cup of coffee – you will always receive a warm welcome. Frankfurter Kinderbüro Schleiermacherstraße 7, 60316 Frankfurt am Main Tel.: 069 212-39001 Email: [email protected] www.frankfurter-kinderbuero.de Office hours: Mon. – Fri., 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. U4: Underground station Höhenstraße Our mission: To give Frankfurt’s children a voice. But listening is our first priority. 9 The Family Info Café Life with a child represents a new Frankfurt Children’s Office can help beginning, a new person has arrived. you in your new situation with tips Besides the joy and happiness, there and addresses and also a personal will also be questions and, at times, chat. Come and visit us in the Fam- concerns. Authorities require docu- ily Info Café in the Schleiermacher- ments, working life and the partner- straße 7 (in the same building as the ship change. You will receive a great Children’s Office). We look forward deal of information – do not let your- to seeing you there! Tuesdays from self become unsettled by this. The 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm. The “Frühe Hilfen” (Early Help) Guide Early Help involves offers for families. Where can I find a parent-child There are many offers for families in group? Who can help answer my Frankfurt am Main. How can I get questions on my baby’s develop- to know other parents in my area? ment? Where can I receive support with looking after my child? The “Early Help” guide offers a summary of what’s available: Find the right contact yourself! www.frankfurt.de/wegweiser- fruehe-hilfen 10 The Babylotsen (Baby Guides): Always there for you and your family New beginnings also involve many new questions. The Baby Guides would like to help you be well in- formed and looked after, after the birth of your child. You will find the Baby Guides in all Frankfurt mater- nity clinics. Baby Guides in Frankfurt www.babylotse-frankfurt.de Telefon: 069 970 901 45 E-Mail: [email protected] 11 Returning to daily life after coming home from the hospital Everything is new: paediatrician. The midwife is paid by suddenly we are no the health insurance company or the so- longer in charge, cial welfare office. She provides tips, for and the baby controls instance on how to hold and change a our schedule. baby, and what mummy and daddy can do when the baby does not drink, loses Even at night, our baby is hungry and weight or cries at night. She also supports needs to be changed. We are slowly mothers who are not feeling well, who finding our way into the new life rou- suffer from baby blues or depression. tine and into our new roles as mummy Addresses of midwives available on: www.hebliste.de and daddy. Our parents are now grand- Bund freiberuflicher Hebammen Deutschland (Association of Independent Midwives) parents, siblings have become uncles Tel.: 069 795 349 71 Email: [email protected] and aunts, children now have a sister or www.bfhd.de a brother. Sometimes we have no idea Landesverband Hessischer Hebammen (State Association of Midwives in Hesse) why our baby is crying. Could it be hun- Tel.: 0561 316 064 4 Email: [email protected] ger, a burp, a full nappy, or the need www.hebammen-hessen.de for quiet and comfort? We are beginning to understand our child without words being spoken. The first contact for all questions are the Baby Guides in the hospital, the midwives who offer follow-up care in your home after the birth and the 12 The pediatrician will see the baby Kindernotfallambulanz in der Kinderklinik am Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst during all required preventive care ex- (Pediatric Emergency Service at the Pediatric Clinic of Frankfurt Hoechst Clinic) aminations (U-Untersuchung). Please Gotenstraße 6–8, 65929 Frankfurt am Main Tel.: 069 310 633 22 always remember to bring the examina- tion records with you which you re- ceived at birth. If you have questions about your child’s health, or the child is sick, you can contact your pediatrician at your convenience. Pediatric emergency services are on-call outside of your pediatrician’s office hours. The experts at the city’s Department of Health (Städ- If the mother continues to need help tisches Amt für Gesundheit) are also after giving birth, the statutory health happy to provide assistance for all issues insurance can pay for a household related to child and juvenile medicine. aid. This requires a medical certificate, ALL CHILDREN for instance from your primary care ARE ENTITLED TO physician.

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